In the midst of a hectic project the only thing that keeps me
going is the thought of a vacation, a getaway from hell, I start smelling the
sea, feeling wind in my hair just thinking about it.
Shopping for all dresses and tops I plan to wear and
something fancy I probably would not need, but I just had to have it. what if some unexpected opportunity presents itself and i need to wear it! I want to be prepared
for all eventualities and usually plan every excruciating detail of the trip , and start packing days in advance.
Then the day arrives, I wake up late, having slept late repacking some of the stuffs
,getting everything in order. I had to catch an early flight, so, by
the time I reach the airport, I am exhausted. I barely get a chance to catch a wink , what with all the
announcements and in flight service. Finally , I reach my destination , almost an hours drive away from the airport ! I check myself into the
hotel. It did not resemble the pitures, (most probably photo-shopped) on the internet site I used , to book the room. Lobby itself left a lot to be desired.
The couch colours don’t match the décor and looked worn out. I cross my fingers
as I follow the porter ( a rather rude fellow) to my sea
facing room. He opens the room and grunts, switching lights on. I walk in..
My
heart sinks, the bed cover is faded and worn out. I don't even want to mention
the duvet. The Air conditioner looked like it was in the middle Sahara dessert. I gingerly walk in and
open the window to let the sunlight filter in and the breeze blow into the
room. Snap! handle comes off, the porter took it from my hand and hooked it back on , where it is stuck,
hanging precariously. The air seems to leave a some kind of sticky black residue on
the window sill. I look down and find the road is right below me. I assume they
made a mistake and put me on the other side of the hotel, not the sea facing
one, specifically remember requesting . Although from the window I see a possible horizon and lo behold "the sea"..
Well at least that’s what I think it is. It’s too far to tell for sure.
I check out the bathroom, not exactly queen’s bath but, I guess I
was just thankful it was clean and hopeful that it was functional. I was
informed that hot water comes at 6 in the morning and will be there for only
half an hour. I am just too tired , I nod , he looks at me
pointedly , waiting . I realize I didn't tip him, although the sum they were charging
me now, started to look more like extortion. I take a couple of notes and hand it to him. Pocketing the money , he lets me know that the room service number and the menu lay by the phone, breakfast was complementary .
I start unpacking, thinking good shower and a short nap might do wonders to lift my spirit. (while
I am trying not to think about the bugs infesting the mattress). I go out
for
tea, since it was too late in the day for lunch. The place was noisy and crowded , mostly
with tourists. I asked for directions to the beach ,I was told it was too far to walk , so I might have to take a cab. Although, I distinctly remember the ad implying that beach was practically touching their backyard.
Anyway, i found that there is supposed to be restaurant round the block, which serves good tea and
snacks. After some searching and
walking, I realize that round the
corner was really two blocks away. I am practically
dripping , with sweat running down my body . All that effort in vain, I felt like I needed a cool drink now , since hot tea was out of the question. When I came back to the hotel room I call for
room service to order dinner. I didn't want to go out again , all they had left was rice and gravy , I did not even bother to listen to the lengthy explanation offered.
With that my day one comes to an end . I had three more days to go . Sleep would properly pep me up, I
switched the A/C on the temp shown was 340 C, I could not set it lower. I
called the maintenance. They came and checked, said there was some short circuit
which would take time to repair. I lost my cool (not that there was much to lose).. They should have checked before
allotting the room! After my angry outburst , I was told , I would not be charged for the A/c. Did they expect me to fall at their feet and be thankful? I
consoled myself , it was just one night. Next day I would find a decent hotel and move.
I could not sleep, so I opened the window to let some cool air in . I woke up in the middle of the night , to the mosquitoes feeding on me. I closed the window and kept swatting myself and
mosquitoes alternatingly . I doubt I killed any, they were too smart for the likes of me.
Next day I woke up at 7 am, needless to say did not get any sleep nor hot
water. Since it was hot outside, I dint mind mind the lack of 'luxury'. I went in search of a good hotel,
this time I would make sure to check the rooms and amenities. Most were booked for
the season. Eventually, by evening I found one on the farther side of the town. It
was good hotel and actually had the amenities .Though a little overpriced and exceeding
my budget, I just could not think of another night in my current hotel.
I packed and asked for the bill, I had to forfeit some amount,
but I wanted to escape. My second day almost to the end and I hadn't gone down to the beach yet. Just when I thought nothing could go wrong , I ended up catching a twenty four hour intestinal bug that evening, day was spent
between bed and bathroom. I had to live on juice and green tea. Well, thre was always tomorrow- My last day of vacation.
But I decided to be optimistic and make up for all the fun I missed. I was
feeling a little weak, nothing a good night's sleep couldn't cure. I felt optimistic just thinking about it.
I woke up at 6 am, something did not seem right, it was cooler. I could hear
pitter patter outside the window. God please don’t let it not be rain ! But as luck would have it ,there were unseasonal rains for the
next few hours. This meant I could not venture out. I hadn't anticipated rains, hence no umbrella. Did i say i wanted to be prepared for all eventualities?? For goodness sake, it was
March!! Whoever would have guessed looking out of the window, right now . Next morning was
my flight home. I had devoured the book I bought when I was lying sick in the bed. I spent my last day reflecting on my life and introspection. By then I was
already homesick, missing everything from my bed, bathroom, to my laptop
and mobile , down to incessant drone of my annoying neighbour, everytime she spotted me in the hallway . But mostly I missed my WORK!
I just needed a vacation from this vacation… the thought cheered
me up, my workplace actually started to seem more welcoming. I guess this is
why we need vacation to realise we already have what we need the most, to
appreciate everything you otherwise took for granted.. Never again..
EPILOGUE
Following year..
In midst of the project, the only thing that keeps me going is
the thought of a vacation.. Oh! The snow….
